Saturday, December 12, 2015

This past year I have really been into adult romances. I have been hesitant to post anything on this blog, in respect to reviews, because I try to keep this blog strictly YA and NA. But I like adult romance and I decided instead of making a separate blog making a meme of my adult romance endeavors may be more fun; honestly I haven't read that much adult romance in general.

My New Obsession: MMA Fighter Romances

Real by Katy Evans was the first book that I read that dealt with the MMA fighter genre in romance and I really loved that book. I've noticed that when it comes to adult romance I tend to stick to certain tropes and as of late MMA fighter books is one of them. I've read two other books recently that also dealt with the same genre and both were featured in previous Square After Dark posts. One Night of Sin was a one sitting read and I definitely recommend it as a pick me up read.

MMA Fighter Romance Reads Recap

Dirty English by Ilsa Madden-Mills Published October 10th 2015 by Little DoveGoodreads | Amazon3 starsBook Description:

THE BRITISH ARE COMING! THE BRITISH ARE COMING!
Read the #1 Book on Amazon!
From New York Times best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills comes a new stand alone romance....
A scarred fighter.
A girl with rules.
One night of unbridled passion.
There are three things you need to know about Elizabeth Bennett: she’s smart as a whip, always in control, and lives by a set of carefully crafted rules. She’s learned the hard way that people you love the most always hurt you in the end.
But then she meets Declan Blay, the new neighbor at her apartment complex.
A tattooed British street fighter, he’s the campus bad boy she’s supposed to avoid, but when he saves her from a frat party gone bad, all her rules about sex and love fly out the window.
She gives him one night of unbridled passion, but he longs for more.
With only a cardboard-thin wall separating their bedrooms, he dreams of possessing the vulnerable girl next door forever.
One night. Two damaged hearts. The passion of a lifetime.
*A modern love story inspired by Pride and Prejudice*

If you aren't really interested in the MMA subgenre of romance this would the one that I would recommend. It is really more of a new adult romance and a pretty good one at that. This one was pretty funny and featured very dynamic characters.

Declan was great and I loved that he was an English major. I didn't quite see the Pride & Prejudice aspects of it besides the love/hate romance, her name, and the fact that it was his favorite book, but I enjoyed it none the less. With new adult you can expect to have the dark backstory which revolved around Elizabeth.

I loved Declan's twin brother; he was definitely a standout character. I wish that this book had a different cover though. I like it, but it makes this book out to be an erotic adult romance when it is more along the lines of Wait For You by J. Lynn.

Olivia James has never been one to walk on the wild side, at least not until she meets Seth Marc—a cocky, sexy fighter at her father’s gym. He’s infuriating, nauseatingly addictive and she just can’t seem to shake him. He’s only been in town a short while and his name is already on everyone’s lips. He's the kind of guy moms’ warn their daughters about—the kind that leaves a trail of shattered hearts behind him and he has Olivia in his sights.
Olivia has never met anyone as confusing as Seth and his hot and cold attitude constantly sends her reeling. She’s never wanted anyone’s touch so badly in her life, but having recently come out of a long term relationship diving into another is something she'd prefer to avoid.
Determined for his touch, but not to let him under her skin, Olivia embarks on the most thrilling ride of her life.

Of these three books, fans of Real will most enjoy consumed. Seth has that same quite brooding alpha male personality that you can with an MMA fighter book. Maybe not as aggressive as in Real because Seth isn't suffering from a mental illness like in Real. Consumed was a fun and quick binge read. I really loved the character of Seth. I enjoyed the romance between him and Olivia. Seth, despite his hard exterior, is a genuinely good guy and he doesn't want to get Olivia dragged into his lifestyle.

On the other hand, Olivia is the kind of character that doesn't quite know who she is. She borders that line between innocent good girl and having a wild side that just didn't work well. I would have rather her be one or the other than a weird mix of both. I did like Olivia's dad and that storyline.

*Don’t read this book if you don’t like snarky, dominant, tattooed men who say things like “Open your mouth, and I will,” after you tell them to shove it. And don’t read this book if you don’t like sassy, strong-willed, fiercely independent heroines who use phrases like “bossy asshole” as a term of endearment. You have been warned.*
“Tattooed package of sin.”
That’s how Savannah Ryan would describe her new boss, Declan Whitmore, the deliciously tatted and pierced fighter who holds the top spot in Boston’s newest underground fighting organization. She’d also describe him as bossy, arrogant, and—depending on what he does to piss her off that particular day—an asshole.
It’s that aloof attitude, along with Savannah’s witty comebacks and tight little body that land her on his radar. Unfortunately for her, Declan is relentless when he sets his sights on someone, both in and out of the ring. Unfortunately for him, this recently reformed bad girl is trying to go straight after heading down a dangerous path. She’s not going to make this easy for him. In fact, she’s going to make it—and him—very, very hard.
Declan’s not worried, though. He’ll have Savannah come hell or high water, because if there’s one word he’d use to describe her, it’s “MINE.”

This book was so much better than I expected it to be! It was really funny. It went places that felt very fresh and original. The progression of the romance between Declan and Savannah was very much a slow burn. It made for some epic tension and some hilarious scenes.

Apparently the name Declan screams MMA fighter, because this is 2/3 with the main guy being named Declan. I didn't realize that until now. I loved Savannah's progression throughout this book. She goes from being afraid and in this horrible position to this girl who is ready to fight for herself and what she wants. It was nice to see Savannah fight too.

Savannah was a bit annoying at times, especially as she tried to resist her feelings for Declan. It got to be very frustrating for her to always be out to ruin their relationship.

Have you read any MMA books? I would love some recommendations! Also, are there any other erotica or romance tropes that you would like to see in a Square After Dark post?